Little League Recap: Another summer of success for Burbank Little League
The summer featured plenty of victories and the heartbreak of losses that capped seasons. It consisted of memorable comebacks and outstanding performances from a number of all-stars.
Above all, the summer was highlighted by the Burbank Junior softball team advancing to the Regional Tournament.
All three Burbank softball teams won District 16 championships and advanced to at least the Section 2 Tournament.
In baseball, all four levels turned in impressive postseason runs. The Junior squad came within a whisker of advancing to the Southern California Division 3 Tournament.
The following is a recap of the Burbank Little League summer season.
SOFTBALL
District 16
It came down to the final play for Burbank’s Major team to clinch the championship. Burbank registered a 4-3 win against Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans at Tujunga Little League Fields.
With Burbank protecting the lead in the bottom of the sixth, Jewel City/Jewish War Veterans’ Kayla Archuleta singled to center field with two outs and Heaven Marquez on second base. Center fielder Phoebe Spangler threw to pitcher Lauren Cristobal, who relayed the ball to catcher Shelby Cribbs. Cribbs tagged Marquez out to preserve the victory.
“It came down to the last play and that’s the way you want it to be,” Burbank coach Eddie Aceves said.
Section 2
The Burbank 8-10 squad fared rather well in the tournament in Canyon Country, advancing to the championship game under coach Peter Orozco. The Media City team won a pair of elimination games to earn a trip to the championship game against Quartz Hill.
Unfortunately for Burbank, its run came up short following a 14-2 defeat.
“I’m really proud of the way our girls got over that first loss of the tournament and got us a chance in the championship game,” Orozco said. “This team just battled.”
The Burbank-Jewish War Veterans Major team swept both of its games against Rosamond in Tehachapi. Burbank-Jewish War veterans opened with a 5-3 victory before wrapping up the crown with an 8-2 win.
Burbank’s Junior team powered its way to the championship, scoring an eye-popping 50 runs in three contests. Burbank sewed up the championship with an 19-4 victory against Canyon Country at Tujunga Little League Fields.
Division
The Major team advanced to the semifinals of the tournament in West Lancaster, succumbing to Westchester. Still, it turned out to be quite a run by Burbank-Jewish War Veterans.
Burbank-Jewish War Veterans opened the tournament in pool-play action. It finished 4-2 and earned the No. 3 seed in bracket play. Burbank saw its playoff run come to a close with an 18-4 loss to No. 2 Westchester.
“We gave it a great run and we got a lot of very good experience,” Burbank-Jewish War Veterans coach Eddie Aceves said. “We had a very young team with just a couple of returners.
“We played a lot of good teams and it says something about our team to get to the semifinals. It’s a huge step for the future of our program.”
The Junior squad rolled through its competition at the tournament in Banning. Burbank scored 21 runs in three games and yielded three en route to winning the title.
Burbank posted a 4-3 victory against Apple Valley in the championship contest. Burbank, which trailed, 3-0, in the fifth inning, scored two runs in the seventh to pull out the victory. Ann Buffolino delivered a two-run single to complete the victory.
“We play mainly teams that we dominate, but this team showed them that even if we’re down, we have a chance,” Burbank coach Rocco Buffolino said. “It was a pretty exciting deal.”
Regional
Fresh off winning the state division title, the Junior team made another appearance at the Western Regional in Tucson, Ariz. Burbank finished 3-2 in tournament pool-play, but saw its bid to advance to the World Series in Kirkland, Wash. fall by the wayside.
Burbank wrapped up its season with a 3-0 win against Flagstaff, Ariz.
“We’re just sick of being the bridesmaid,” Buffolino said. “This year we had bigger plans and they just didn’t work out the way we wanted them to.
“They had a goal in mind and they really wanted to make it to the World Series. Although we kind of fell short of that goal, this team still has a lot to be proud of.”
BASEBALL
District 16
The 8-10 team notched a 5-1 win versus Crescenta Valley at Tujunga Little League Fields in the title contest.
The Major baseball split its first two games before falling to Vaquero, 5-0, in an elimination game.
In Junior action, Burbank posted a 9-8 win against Crescenta Valley in the championship game at Tujunga.
Section 2
The Burbank 8-10 and Junior teams were the only squads to advance to Section 2.
The 8-10 team traveled to Northridge and lost both games. It opened with a 28-9 loss to Sherman Oaks before seeing its season conclude with an 18-6 defeat versus Quartz Hill.
“We just don’t have the talent pool that a lot of these other cities have because of our park and rec program,” Burbank coach Chris Montgomery said. “But for our program to get to the level it did with this team is extraordinary. We are proud of how far we were able to make it. …They represented Burbank really well. ”
The Junior squad encountered a wet and wild ride to the championship game before falling to Palmdale at Dunsmore Park in La Crescenta. Burbank suffered a 6-5 loss to Palmdale in eight innings after rallying from a 5-2 deficit in the seventh.
In a semifinal game against Santa Anita, Burbank overcame some strange circumstances to pull out a thrilling 11-10 win.
With Burbank trailing, 8-5, in the sixth at Dunsmore Park, the sprinklers went on and forced both teams to vacate the field. The game resumed the next day at Tujunga Little League Fields, setting the stage for Burbank to complete its comeback. The Media City squad tied it at 9 in the seventh. Santa Anita took a 10-9 lead in the ninth before Burbank rallied for a walk-off victory on a fielder’s choice.
“Fantastic season,” Burbank coach Adrian Cox said. “They showed a lot of heart. We enjoyed the all-star season.”
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
